Recently I was bitten by the locost bug, after a ride in a friend-of-a-friend's beautiful example. I started researching and coming up with my dream version. Now I'm set on making it a reality. It won't be for a while (Still 2 years of college left, then saving some money and gathering parts) but I am determined to come as close to my vision as possible.

here are the main goals:-A reliable, vintage-feeling cruiser that I can take work in the summer and maybe to the occasional autocross.

-As little electronics as possible, partly because I hate wiring but mostly to keep the vintage feel.

-GM Quad 4 engine converted to carbs mated to a T5 trans. I have a bit of experience with these engines and love them. They are perfectly capable of my horsepower goals without any major modification and they just look awesome.

-I plan on using a 3rd gen Camaro donor for the tranny, rear end, and various other bits, because I know of one that's not going anywhere that I could get for almost nothing.

-possibly a custom aluminum body, inspired by early Morgan and Riley sports cars. It would be mostly classic, with an upright grille and swoopy lines, but with a few tweaks, like wider fenders to cover modern tires and more exaggerated shapes. I would also include some vintage aircraft touches, just for a touch of hot rod flavor.

One of the things that is beautiful about the "7" bodywork is its simplicity. Aside from the 5 fiberglass pieces, everything is thin aluminum sheet with simple bends (no specialized tools or forming skills required). It is quick and relatively easy to make and if you need replacement parts it won't take long to either make or order them. Plus there is plenty of other work required to get one of these cars running - no need to further complicate it and add another barrier between a pile of parts and a street legal car.

I would get the car running first with Locost bodywork then if you still want to do something else make it a winter project. If you use clamshell fenders instead of the cycle fenders for the front, I think you will get the look you are going for and the simplicity of the Locost.

That's what I was thinking. I would definitely prefer a running car over a pretty car, so internals will be top priority. I am working on a model in Sketchup to illustrate what I want, and so far everything can be made without complex curves or with off the shelf parts modified to fit. If I decide to go with a custom body it shouldn't be too much of a nightmare for me and a friend who does metalwork.

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